The Escape Collection: (The Escape Collection) (88 page)

The bells over the door tinkled as Darci walked in. Monica was lounging against the counter and raised her head up from whatever magazine she was reading.
 

“Busy?” Darci asked. She stored her tote under the cupboard and glanced around. The store was empty except for one woman who was browsing through a selection of natural shampoos.
 

“It’s been pretty slow,” Monica replied. She tucked her magazine away. “You’re late you know?”

Darci looked up at the clock. “I’m exactly on time, thank you very much.”

“I believe it was you who told me how important it was to be early for every shift so you can start right on time.” Monica slid a clipboard across the counter and flipped through the pages. “I put that on my list of recommendations,” she said.
 

Darci strained to see what Monica was working on. “Recommendations for what?”

“Well, now that I’m assistant manager, I thought I would make a few suggestions for the employee manual. If we want Golden Moon Health to thrive, we need to all band together as a team.”

Darci tried not to roll her eyes. “We don’t have an employee manual.”
 

“Exactly my point.” Monica scribbled something on the clipboard. “I think it’s high time we did. Oh, don’t you think that customer could use a little help?” She pointed to the woman who had gone from examining the backs of the bottles, to unscrewing the caps and sniff testing each shampoo. “She’s been here awhile.”

“Absolutely,” Darci said. She pulled out a folder and began to review the day’s shipments. After a second, she could still see Monica in her peripheral vision. “Aren’t you going to help her?” she asked Monica who hadn’t moved.
 

The smirk on the other woman’s face sparked a rage that Darci rarely felt. “I’m off shift,” Monica said. “You should help her.” She looked down and continued writing.

Darci took a deep breath. “You said she’d been here awhile. You didn’t ask her if you could help?”

“I was busy.”
 

The urge to shove her clipboard into her face was strong, but Darci managed to contain herself. She pasted a smile on her face and moved around the counter to assist the customer.
 

It took almost fifteen minutes to help the woman find a shampoo that was not only made with natural, organic ingredients but also smelled like coconuts. Darci rang up her purchase and waited until the customer had left the store before turning to Monica, who was still lounging against the counter.
 

“I thought you had somewhere to be?”

“What made you think that?” Monica had stashed her clipboard and was once again randomly turning pages in her magazine.
 

“That’s what you said when I asked you to cover my shift today. Taylor was just in the hospital again, and I was hoping to be able to stay home with her today.”

Monica looked up. “Right. Yeah, those plans got cancelled.”
 

She didn’t believe her for a second, but Darci swallowed her frustration. It actually made her sad that the friendship between them had disintegrated so badly. They’d been friends. Monica had probably been her only friend. At least, that’s what she’d thought. And after the way she’d treated Cam, she wasn’t likely to have any friends at all. The sudden thought made Darci sad. “Monica, what happened?”
 

“What are you talking about?”
 

Darci tried to smile. “With us, I mean. I thought we were friends.”

Monica raised an eyebrow. “You did?” She laughed, a sound that cut through Darci. A combination of a cackle and a giggle, it was anything but funny. Darci tried not to flinch. “I don’t know why you’d think that,” Monica said. “I’ve worked for you for years and let’s be honest, you always thought I was stupid.”

“That’s not true.”

“It is. But I’m not stupid at all. I have plans, Darci. And they don’t include being a lowly employee forever. I’m going to be the manager of this place and then maybe even owner someday. Wouldn’t that be a laugh, you working for me?”
 

Darci’s stomach flipped but she tried to ignore Monica’s smug look and decided to play it cool. Getting Monica even more fired up, would definitely not work in her favor.

“Sounds like a great plan,” Darci said, trying not to gag on her own words. She turned to the till and pretended to busy herself with counting the float.

There was silence for a moment; no doubt while Monica tried to figure out why Darci wasn’t freaking out. Finally, Monica said. “Thanks.”
 

Darci pushed the cash drawer shut and turned around.
 

“Hey, thanks,” Monica said. She sounded sincere, more like the Monica she remembered. “I didn’t even ask. How’s Taylor?”
 

Darci looked very carefully at Monica. All signs of the bitter, resentful woman who seemed to have taken over, was gone and the woman Darci once considered her friend, was back. At least for a moment. It was exhausting trying to keep up with Monica’s shifts but she had always cared about Taylor. Or at least, it had appeared that way.

Darci sighed, and said, “She had a low blood sugar at a sleep over party. It caused a seizure and she had to be rushed to the hospital. She’s okay now, but it’s really been a tough road.” Once she started talking, Darci realized how badly she needed to talk about everything. As she let the words fly out of her mouth, she realized that Monica probably wasn’t the best choice to unload on, but at that exact moment, it didn’t matter. Monica was listening, and she was talking. And it felt good. “I don’t know how to explain to her that she’ll be okay and that her friends aren’t going to care about what happened. But she’s almost a teenager now, and all of a sudden she’s so worried about what others think. The worst part is, she’s barely talking about it. I need to know about her blood sugar levels, but I don’t want her to feel like I don’t trust her and that I’m nagging her.” Darci took a breath. Monica had hopped up on the counter and was watching her with an unreadable expression on her face. “What?” Darci asked.

“You know they found a cure for diabetes, right?”
 

The air rushed from Darci’s lungs. “Pardon me?” She barely trusted herself to speak.
 

“The drug companies,” Monica twirled a pen in her hands, an action that had always driven Darci crazy. “They've totally cured it, it's just a ploy to keep people buying medicine. It's not like they can announce that they have the cure, or anything. They'd go out of business. So instead they hide it. It's a huge cover-up, but there's totally a cure for diabetes. Everyone knows that.”

“No,” Darci said through gritted teeth. “Not everyone knows that.”

“Just Google it, Darci. Don't be so naive.”

Darci took a deep breath and planted her hands on the counter. “If I really believed there was a cure for this terrible disease, how do you think I could face my child everyday as she injects herself with insulin? No, Monica. There isn't a cure.”

Monica's pen stopped mid-swirl and she glared at Darci. “Whatever. You could probably just control Taylor's case with a healthier diet, anyway.”

Darci had to force herself to turn away.

“I have work to do,” she said. Darci pulled the delivery folder out once again, determined to distract herself. With any luck, if she ignored Monica long enough, she'd leave.
 

Monica did leave, but not before making a point to tell Darci all the things she should be doing to cure Taylor’s diabetes. Darci didn't speak or so much as acknowledge her presence, but when the door finally closed behind her, she slumped against the counter and put her head in her hands to muffle her frustrated screams.

Chapter 19

 
“I think I should go,” Taylor announced, as soon as Darci came home.
 

“Go where?” Darci filled a glass with water and shook two Aspirin from the bottle.
 

“Mom.” Taylor rolled her eyes. “I have a game tonight.”

Darci opened her mouth to object, but before she could get a word out, Taylor launched into what was obviously a prepared speech. “You said yourself that I couldn't feel sorry for myself and I had to get on with things.”

“I said that?”

“Well, not exactly like that, but I got the general idea.” Taylor slid into her chair at the kitchen table and started fiddling with the napkin holder. “Anyway, I think that's the best way to deal with this whole seizure thing.”

Seizure thing? Darci didn't speak aloud, but she had to wonder what had happened while she was at work for Taylor to undergo such a huge metamorphosis.
 

“I need to show my friends that I'm okay and it's not a big deal. I think the best way to do that is by playing tonight, don't you?”

Darci sat back in her chair and assessed her daughter. A smile worked across her face. “I do actually. I think it's an excellent idea and a very mature decision. I know it couldn't have been an easy one for you.” She took a sip of water and almost spat it out with what Taylor said next.
 

“It was actually Coach Cam's idea. But it's a good one, don't you think?”

Darci swallowed hard, only choking a little. She managed a nod. It was a good idea for Tay to go the game, she couldn't deny that. But she hadn't thought about seeing Cam again so soon after the way she’d behaved.

“Earth to Mom.” Taylor waved a hand in front of Darci's face. “Are you even listening to me?”

“Of course I am,” Darci said quickly. “You were saying that you wanted to go to the game.”

“And?”
 

Darci smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “Sorry.”

Taylor sighed with as much drama as she could muster. “I said, wasn't it nice of Coach Cam to call and check up on me?”

Darci nodded, and she swallowed her disappointment along with the rest of her water. She couldn't help but wish that Cam had called to talk to her, but why would he after the way she’d spoken to him. Besides, she still thought it wasn't a good idea for her to get involved in a relationship. That hadn't changed over night. Had it?

“Yes,” Darci said after a moment. “It was very nice of him to call. Except-”

“Except what?” Taylor crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in the chair.

“Except, at the hospital they said you were probably going to feel terrible for a few days.”

“But I don’t.”

“Joelle did mention something about it taking a little bit, but you’re body could be pretty sore.”

“I’m fine, Mom. And if I feel fine then shouldn’t I be the one to decide if I can play or not? Doctor Wilson said all my tests came back clear.”

Darci looked at her little girl, who with her arms crossed tight and a pout on her face, suddenly didn’t look so little any more. “You’re right,” she said after a moment.

Taylor’s arms fell to her sides and her mouth dropped. “I am?”
 

“You are,” Darci said. “You’re not a baby anymore and you know your body better than anyone. So if you feel like you can play…play.”

“Yes!” Taylor jumped up from the table. “I have to get ready,” she said. “Could you pretty please make me a peanut butter sandwich? I need my energy for the game.”

Darci nodded and rubbed her temple.
 

“Oh, and Mom?”

“Yes?” Darci looked up again.
 

“I really am sorry that I ruined your date. I still think you should try again.”

Taylor didn't give her a chance to respond before skipping out of the room. Darci couldn't help but smile. It was nice to see Taylor happy again after seeing her so upset only a few hours earlier. And all because of a call from Cam. As she got up from the table to make Taylor's sandwich, she couldn’t help but wonder if a call from Cam would've had the same effect on her.
 

***

Before Darci had even gathered her things from the back seat, Taylor had already grabbed her bag and was running towards the player's bench.
 

“I have to hurry, Mom. I want to talk to Abby before warm up,” she called over her shoulder.

Darci waved her ahead, locked up the car and headed over to the bleachers. Barb saw her before she had a chance to sneak by.

“Darci,” she called. “Saved you a seat.”

Darci turned and did her best to match Barb's bright smile. No doubt she'd have spoken to her brother and knowing Barb, Darci was going to hear all about it.
 

Careful not to step on anyone, Darci picked her way up the bleachers, occasionally exchanging greetings with some of the other parents. She didn't miss the pitying looks that a few of them gave her, or the furtive glances they exchanged. Darci knew without asking that news of Taylor's seizure would have travelled throughout the team, and therefore the parents as well.
 

“Hi, Barb.” Darci sat down. She wouldn't meet the other woman’s gaze. She didn't want to know if Barb felt sorry for her too.
 

“So, what's the deal?”
 

“Pardon me?” Whatever she thought Barb was going to say, it hadn't been that.
 

“Cam won't tell me anything, so I thought maybe you'd give it up,” Barb said. When Darci turned to look at her, she couldn't help but smile in response to the other woman's mischievous expression. But then she remembered what she'd said to her brother, and the smile melted.
 

“We had a pretty nice night,” Darci said. She turned her attention to the field where the girls were beginning their warm up by doing jumping jacks.
 

“Pretty nice?” Barb mocked. “You have got to be kidding me”

“Lower your voice,” Darci hissed. She glanced around hoping no one had overheard. So far, they hadn’t attracted any attention and everyone seemed to be wrapped up in their own conversations.
 

“The two of you have been dancing around each other for years,” Barb said, her voice, mercifully quieter. “Finally you go out on a date and all you'll tell me is, ‘we had a pretty nice night’? I don't think so.” Barb grabbed her arm, and Darci spun around to face her. “Spill.”